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对劲 (duì jìn) — normal, right, as it should be (often in negative: 不对劲 = not right, off, wrong); compatible, getting along well (for people or relationships)

Definition

对劲 means something feels 'right' — either that a situation is normal / as expected, or that two people click and work well together. The negative 不对劲 is far more common, signaling something feels off or suspicious.

adjective
normalrightas it should be (often in negative: 不对劲 = not right, off, wrong)compatiblegetting along well (for people or relationships)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā jīn tiān liǎn sè bú tài hǎo, kàn qǐ lái yǒu diǎn bú duì jìn.
    He doesn't look well today; something seems a bit off.
  • 对劲，。
    Tā men liǎng gè rén hěn duì jìn, hé zuò qǐ lái fēi cháng mò qì.
    Those two get along very well and work together very smoothly.
  • ，。
    Wǒ jué de zhè jiàn shì bú duì jìn, hái shì zài chá yí xià.
    I think something is off about this matter; let's double-check it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

对duìmatch
劲jìnenergy

对 “match” and 劲 “energy” combine to mean right, normal, or compatible.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勁; 劲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng勁jìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 勁 pairs 力, meaning strength, with 巠, which gives the sound; the simplified 劲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the original ones.

Open 劲 →
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